(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cap for securement over the head of the fastener and wherein the cap is molded of synthetic resinous material and is adapted for snap-fit over the head.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
It is advantageous to cover the head of a fastener, such as a bolt or screw fastener, with a synthetic resinous cover whereby to prevent corrosion of the fastener or to cover the fastener with a colored cap whereby to conceal the fastener from its surrounding area, which may, for example, be the roof or side wall of a building structure made of colored or natural metal sheeting. Such caps have been provided and wherein the cap has a cavity configured to be press fitted onto the head of a fastener. The disadvantage of such covers is that they become undone from the fastener due to various reasons such as contraction and expansion of the cover material caused by environmental temperature changes. Also, such caps are often painted and are easily scratched when handled during installation.
It is also known in the prior art to mold synthetic resinous material about the head of a bolt such as, for example, described in British Pat. Nos. 953,009 and 991,961. The disadvantage of such covers is that the synthetic resinous material becomes damaged or soiled by fastening tools when the fastener is secured and such damage can cause the cover to fall off the fastener head, or else is aesthetically unpleasant. Another disadvantage of such synthetic material cover is that it is costly to fabricate and it is necessary to maintain a large inventory of fasteners as different types of fasteners are stocked and each type having covers of different colors. Such stock keeping is very expensive.